Slideshow: Electronics add glitter to new Rolls-Royce

Rolls-Royce is rolling out a new fastback-style vehicle that cranks out 624 HP, goes from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, and employs more electronic technology than any vehicle in the company's storied history.

Known as the Wraith, the new luxury car combines a V-12 engine with an eight-speed, satellite-aided transmission that "sees" the road ahead. It also incorporates LED exterior lights, a "starry night" array of fiber-optic lamps on the ceiling, and a touchscreen that reads handwritten messages. "It's a very intuitive vehicle," Rolls-Royce spokesman James Warren told Design News. "It can see beyond what the driver sees."

Indeed, the Wraith's satellite-aided transmission is unique, even in today's electronics-heavy auto industry. The brainchild of a former BMW Formula 1 engineer, the new transmission is said to "find the optimum gear as though it were a skilled pilot changing the manual gearbox himself," according to Rolls-Royce. It works by using input from a GPS navigation system, along with the vehicle's throttle sensor and steering gear sensor. As a result, the transmission gives the car an "effortless dynamism."

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